Sewing-machine needle-threader.



M. 0. SMITH & W. E. FROST.

SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE THREADER.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1915.

1,182,225. Patented May 9,1916.

7 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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Ema/whom M. 0. SMITH & w. E. FROST. SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE THREADER.

H v 0mm 2. 5 m aa 6 w m 5 a 7 WW My 1 U E STA 1 MARY OCTAVIA SMITH AND WALTER EDWIN FROST, OF AUBURN, MAINE.

SEWING-MACHINE NEEDLE-THREADER.

Application filed November 8, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MARY OCTAVIA SMITH and WALTER EDWIN FRosT, citizens of the United States, residing at Auburn,

in the county of Androscoggin and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Needle-Threaders; and we do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others'skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in needle threaders for sewing machines.

The mainobject of the invention is to provide a simply constructed and efficient device of this character which may be applied to sewing machines of any make, and by the use of which, a needle may be quickly, easily, and conveniently threaded, and which has a thread engaging hook so shaped as to perof the usual attachments, and yet is positioned for instant use when it is required to thread a needle.

Another object is to provide a thread en gaging member mounted for adjustment in planes at right angles to each other to provide for the proper positioning of the hook in relation to the needle eye.

Another object is to provide means for receiving and housing the hook when not in use to hold it out of theway of the operator and prevent it from engaging adjacent objects, or injuring the operator.

With these and other ob 'ects in view, the invention. consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of a sewing machine head with this improved threader applied, showing the hook in engagement with the thread prior to its with- I drawal through theneedle; Fig.2 is a similar view showing, the threader in position after the thread has been drawn position; Fig. 4c is a transverse vertical seco Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1216..

Serial No. 60,320.

tion taken on the line H of Fig. 8; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing the connection of the threader arm with its casting; Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of the hook carrying end of the threader; and Fig. 9 is a similar view shown partly in longitudinal section.

The attachment constituting this invention comprises a bracket 1 which is here shown .U-shaped in configuration and composed of two adjustably engaged sections 2 and 3, the overlapping meeting ends 4: and 5 of which are formed in the cross bar of the bracket and when connected, have their outer faces arranged flush with the cross of the machine to which it is to be attached.

These overlapping members 4: and 5 are provided one with laterally extending longitudinally spaced headed elements 6 which project through a longitudinally extending slot 7 in the other, both of said elements 6 being preferably in the form of set screws to provide for the adjustable connection of the sections to vary the length of the cross bar to adapt the bracket to fit machine heads of varying sizes. One arm of this U-shaped bracket 1 is provided on its outer face with laterally extending spaced apertured lugs 8 and 9,. the apertures therein being arrangedin alinement and designed to receive a shaft 10 which is rotatably mounted there- Set screws 12 extend transversely through thearms of the U-shaped bracket 1 and are designed for detachably clamping the bracket to the'machine head, as is shown clearly in Fig. l. I

A bearing 1-3 in the form of a casting is I shown adjustably mounted on the projecting end. of the shaft lO and is fixed thereto by means of a set screw 14 which extends through one end of the bearing and engages the shaft lOfor lockingsaid bearing to said shaft in adjusted position thereon. This hearing or casting 13 has a bore 15 extending, transversely therethrough in a plane at right angles to the bore with which the shaft 10 is engaged, and which is dep of the needle to be threaded.

shaped or right angular hook-carrying mem ber constructed of a heavy metal rod, which may be of any desired cross sectional contour. The free end of the long arm of this member 16 is mounted in the bore 15 of the bearing 18 and is secured in adjusted position therein by means of a set screw 17 to provide for the adjustment of said arm in said casting to position the hook carrying end thereof in proper relation to the eye The hook carrying end of this member 16 is formed on the terminal of the short arm 18 thereof, said arm being split longitudinally to form clamping jaws 19, said end being threaded to receive an internally threaded sleeve 20 which is adapted to be screwed on the threaded end of the arm 18 for forcing the clamping jaws formed by the split end thereof into operative position to securely hold the thread engaging hook 21 to be described.

This sleeve 20 is preferably provided with a milled heador collar 22 to facilitate its engagement and disengagement relative to the arm'18 for releasing or securing the hook 21 when desired. The hook 21 is shown in the form of a longitudinally curved shank 23 having a downturned bill 24: at its outer end, said end being here shown tapered to wardly for releasing it and by means'ofv which the hook may be longitudinally adjuste'd to adapt the bill thereof to project a greater or less extent through the needle eye when the member 16 is moved forwardly.

From the above description, it will be obvious that the one-piece right angular arm wardly, otherwise it could not enter the eye when the arm is swung downwardly and forwardly toward the needle. The bill 24 of the hook is'shown turned downwardly and the thread T is adapted to be passed under and across the shank to position it for engagement by said hook when the member 16 is moved rearwardly for drawing the thread through the needle eye.

A coiled spring 25 encircles the shaft 10 between the bearing 13 and the adjacent lug 9, and has one end engaged with said lug and the other end thereof hooked around the member 16 adjacent the bearing 13 and exerts its tension to swing said member normally upward out of the way after it has been actuated for threading the needle N as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Mounted on the arm A of the sewing machine head, is a hook receiving and protecting member 26, here shown in the form of a clamp shaped to encircle the arm A and having laterally extending apertured lugs 27 at the free ends thereof through which a fastening bolt 28 is designed to extend for securing the member 26 on the arm A. Extending from this clamp 26 preferably at a point below the arm A, are a pair of depending laterally spaced flaps 29 and 30 which form a housingbetween them to receive the hook 21 when the attachment is swung up into inoperative position, whereby said hook is protected and prevented from engaging surrounding obj ects; As shown, these flaps 29 and 30 are carried by an arcuate connecting element 31 which extends at opposite sides beyond the flaps to form attaching flanges which are bolted or riveted to the clamp 26. The clamp. 26 is preferably made of lighter material than the flaps 29 and 30, the light material of the clamp being 'resilient to adapt it to readily clasp the arm of any sewing machine. In the use of this at tachment, the U-shaped bracket 1 is clamped to the head of the'sewing machine, preferably near the lower end thereof by means of the set screws 12, and when so positioned, the member 16 will be mounted to swing in a vertical plane and may be adjusted vertically in the bearing 13, and said bearing 13 properly adjusted on the shaft 10 so that the hook 21 carried by the member 16 will be arranged directly opposite the eye of the needle to be threaded when the needle is at the extreme limit of its upward movement, so that on the downward and forward swinging of the member 16, the hook 21 will pass through the eye of theneedle into position ready to receive and engage the thread T, and after said thread has been passed around and under the hook and engaged with the billthereof, the member 16 is swung rearwardly and upwardly, carrying with it thethread through the eye of the needle. This rearward and upward movement of the member 16 is facilitated by the spring 25 which exerts its tension to raise said member 16 and position it between the flaps 29' and 30 of the clamp 26 carried by the arm -A, and when in this position, the

- device will be out of the way of the operathe member 16 and forcing it-downwardly and forwardly. in the manner above set forth.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a sewing machine needle threader the combination of an attaching bracket, longitudinally spaced apertured lugs extending from the outer face thereof with the apertures therein alined with each other, a shaft rotatably mounted in said lugs, a bearing adjustably mounted on said shaft and fixed to turn therewith, an L-shaped member having one arm adjustably mounted in said bearing in a plane at right angles to said shaft, whereby said member may be adjusted in planes at right angles to'each other, a thread engaging hook carried by the other arm of said member, and a spring coiled on said shaft with one end engaging said bracket and its other end engaging said L-shaped member for returning said memher to inoperative position after it has. been operated to thread the needle.

2. In a sewing machine needle threader the combination of a U-shaped bracket composed of L-shaped sections having longitudinally adjustable overlapping ends forming the cross bar of said bracket, said overlapping ends having cut out portions on their meeting faces of a suflicient depth to provide for the arrangement of the outer face of said ends flush with the outer faces of the bracket proper when the parts are assembled, a shaft rotatably mounted on one section, a member adj ustably mounted on said shaft and fixed to rotate therewith, and a thread engaging hook carried by said member.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARY OCTAVIA SMITH. WALTER EDWIN FROST. WVitnesses FRED 0. Mason, TAscus A'rwoon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G. 

